Supervisors info:
κ. Μαρίνα Κολοβοπούλου, Αναπλ. Καθηγήτρια,, Τομέας Πατερικών Σπουδών, Ιστορία Δογμάτων και Συμβολικής, Τμήμα Θεολογίας ΕΚΠΑ. (Επιβλέπουσα)
Σεβ. Μητρ. Μεσσηνίας Χρυσόστομος Σαββάτο, Καθηγητής, Τομέας Πατερικών Σπουδών, Ιστορία Δογμάτων και Συμβολικής, Τμήμα Θεολογίας ΕΚΠΑ.
κ. Γεώριος Σταυρόπουλο-Γιουσπάσογλου, Αναπλ. Καθηγητής, Τομέας Πατερικών Σπουδών, Ιστορία Δογμάτων και Συμβολικής, Τμήμα Θεολογίας ΕΚΠΑ.
Summary:
This thesis has to do with the teaching of John Cassian, one of the most important ecclesiastical writers of the 5th century.
Because of the suspicion that existed and/or still exists in the West about the similarities between his Christological teaching and that of Pelagius, this thesis focuses on the analysis of Cassian's writings, specifically the latter's De Incarnatione Domini Contra Nestorium (On the Incarnation of the Lord against Nestorius), since in this work the father presents the teaching of Nestorius as following that of Pelagius.
In the first chapter, as an introduction, the history and the development of the accusations of semi-Pelagianism in the work of Cassian, and especially those of Prosperus of Aquitaine, are briefly presented, starting from the differences between the theology of Grace of St. Augustine and the teachings of Cassian.
The second chapter consists of three parts. In the first part the main biographical data of the father are given. The second part describes in detail the main characteristics, recipients, content, dates of authorship of his works, and the development of his authorship. The third part presents the character of his teaching and explains the reasons for the great importance, especially of his first two writings -De InstitutisCoenobiorum and CollationesPatrum- in the West.
The third chapter consists of two parts, in which, respectively, the teachings of both Pelagius - in the first part - and Nestorius in the second part are described.
The fourth chapter of the work presents - in two parts - the teachings of St. Augustine (first part) and of Cassian (second part) on the relations between Divine Grace and human free will, and having set as a basis how the two fathers understood these relations, subsequently, the differences and similarities between them are examined and a comparison is attempted. This comparison is deemed necessary since this subject is the starting point of the accusations against Cassianus.
The fifth chapter, which consists of six parts, deals entirely with Cassian's last work, De Incarnatione Domini Contra Nestorium. In the first and second parts, the definition, characteristics and mode of appearance and spread of the heresies are analysed, focusing in particular on the similarities between the teachings of Pelagius, Leporius and Nestorius as - according to Cassian - natural corollaries of each other. The third and fourth parts respectively focus on the hagiographical approach to the Mystery of the Incarnation of the Lord. Thus, in the third part, some of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah are interpreted, while in the fourth part, on the basis of an analysis of some passages of the New Testament, the fulfillment of these prophecies in the person of Christ is demonstrated.
Then, it has to with the Mystery of the Virginal Conception and the naming of the Virgin Mary as Theotokos, concluding with the proof of the Divinity and Humanity of Christ. In the fifth part, the importance of the hypostatic union of the two natures in the person of Christ for the salvation of man is examined, and finally, some of the patristic testimonies to the Incarnation of the Word of God in Church literature, which are mentioned by Cassian at the end of his work, are presented.
Keywords:
Cassian, Nestorius, Incarnation, Heresy
